I Couldn't Tell
by tatsu55
Summary: Senel and Chloe discover that Norma has left, leaving only a note behind... and Senel decides to give chase. SenelxNorma ChloexOC and more. Chapter 5 now up!
1. The note

Disclaimer: It's too bad I don't own Tales any of the games or characters, because I would definitely make a second one… oh well!

Author's note: Please don't flame me, I know that Senel x Norma wasn't meant to be, I just thought it would be interesting, and it's been stuck in my head for a while now. Thanks all! Oh, and before I forget, this contains spoilers if you haven't gotten through most of the Character Quests yet. Also thanks to my beta reader for reading it beforehand, although she had no clue what it was about.

* * *

I Couldn't Tell

I never thought that I'd still be here on the Legacy. It seems that things just rolled out of control before I knew it. I found the Everlight, well, sort of. I also was able to teach him some manners, the Jerk. Always calling me a Monkey…

That wasn't the only thing that kept me here though, now that I think about it. I guess… I just didn't want to admit it. I always act like a kid, it's true. I find it more fun that way. I don't have to be anyone but me.

I guess that's why I make nicknames for everyone too. It makes me feel unique. You do too, but of course, I'll never tell. You like Shirl. Well, even if you and her don't work out, I still couldn't tell. I'd just play the part of a good friend, and encourage C to go for it.

You're so stupid sometimes, Senny! I mean, sure, Shirl's nice and all, but she's still your sister, isn't she? I mean, why did it all turn out this way? I never would have guessed all these crazy adventures would happen when I met you and Teach and C in the Crystal Forest.

Back then all I cared about was treasure. I just wanted to find the Everlight. Not only to prove it exists, but because I was greedy. I wanted to be known as the greatest treasure hunter ever. I was such a fool. I only made jokes about it at first, you know. Like when we were on the boat before Hattie interrupted, it's not like I actual thought we'd fall for each other or anything.

I guess I didn't see it. Over time I became part of the group, and you all just accepted me, even though you got angry, you never pushed me away. I guess I fell for you without knowing it. And since me and Red and JJ always seemed to work better, I just tried to ignore it. I really tried with all my heart.

But I failed… Even though C was able to accept it, and continue just being your friend, I guess I can't. I guess I'll never be complete. I'm sorry everyone, maybe someday you'll forgive me… for what must be done.

Norma.

* * *

Senel was wondering what was wrong, when he entered Will's house that day, something just didn't seem right. Turns out Norma hadn't arrived yet, which was weird considering she never missed the opportunity to bug him about sleeping too long… 

"Then again… She does sleep heavily. Do you think she stayed up too late or something?"

"I don't know Coolidge, but how about we go get her? We'll be back shortly, Raynard."

"Right, don't take long."

"We won't."

Senel and Chloe ran to the inn. Will obviously had something important to say to them if they had to hurry. Then again, the Legacy hadn't been having many problems lately, so maybe it wasn't as urgent as they thought it was. They just wanted it to be urgent. And let's face it, after all the events that had taken place, how could they not get bored?

They ran up to Norma's room, knocking on it only twice before entering to wake her. But the room was empty, with only an open window as evidence.

"She's not here? That's weird… did she go out or something?"

Chloe picked up the piece of paper lying on the desk, looking it over carefully. Slight tears filled her eyes, but she kept her voice level. This was too hard to believe.

"Coolidge, look at this."

Chloe handed over the piece of paper, and Senel took it, slightly confused. He was pretty dense on matters of love, so Chloe wasn't even sure if when she confessed he understood, that day in the rain, but this he had to. It was too clear.

"I don't understand… she's…"

"Coolidge, open your eyes and read it!"

"…gone."

Chloe staggered slightly, that wasn't quite what she expected, but he got the general picture. That was enough to go on.

"And it's my fault?"

He wasn't as dense as she thought. That was a relief.

"I don't think it's your entire fault Coolidge. Come on, we'd better tell Raynard…"

"Not yet."

"What?"

"Just… let's say she left a note… she went treasure hunting or something… please Chloe, I just need time… to think about this…"

Chloe smiled. Maybe he wasn't always smart, but he understood this was important.

"Sure Coolidge, take your time."

"Thanks."

They left the inn, heading back to Will's house.

"Will Norma come back?"

"To be completely honest with you Coolidge, I don't know.

"…Right."

Fin?

* * *

Afternote: 

Will: Well that was depressing.

Jay: What do you expect, my information clearly confirms that there is no way Senel and Norma would ever work.

Norma: Aww come on JJ, let the guy dream!

Tatsu: Actually, Jay has a point.

Senel: Then why did you right this! It's…

Shirley: Something you should be hurt for!

Tatsu: Right, because everyone loves the Senel/Shirley stuff

Shirley: They do too!

Moses: Sorry Toots, he's got a point. Senel and Chloe work better.

Senel + Chloe: W-What?

Jay: For once, I agree with Moses.

Shirley's Battle Aura flares

Tatsu: Okay, time to go now! This is Tatsu and the Fun Bunch, signing out!

Sounds of people getting hurt by Shirley and Senel trying to stop her

Grune: Oh my, everyone looks like they're having so much fun!

* * *

Of course Grune would get the last laugh…. Anyway y s, I hope you all liked it! I'm planning on keeping this a one-shot deal unless people who read it want me to continue. Senel and Norma would be interesting to try and make work… anyways; I hope you all enjoyed it, R+R! 


	2. Senel's Feelings

Tatsu: By popular (Does four people count?) demand, I'm going to continue this! Thanks for the good reviews, too! I'm glad you liked it!

Norma: Yay! Will I appear in this chapter?

Tatsu: … No.

Norma: What?!?!

Senel: You went missing, remember?

Norma: grr…

(Shirley makes muffled sounds, tied to a chair and gagged)

Chloe: Shouldn't you start the chapter now?

Jay: Yes, before the demon gets loose. I want to see how you'll pull this off.

(Resists urge to turn this into a Senel/Chloe)

Tatsu: Moses, start us off!

Moses: YAHOO! HERE COMES CHAPTER TWO: SENEL'S FEELINGS!!!

Jay: Stupid bandit, you didn't need to shout.

Moses: But it's cooler that way.

(More fighting ensues)

Chapter Two: Senel's Feelings

The rest of the day had gone uneventfully. Well, not exactly. Senel and Chloe managed to put off questions about Norma by saying she went off treasure hunting again. Since she did this often, no questions were asked by the others. Then Will had gone into the details of what they needed to do today.

---------------------------------Flashback----------------------------------------

Will crossed his hands, looking at the group, minus Norma. "We've faced tougher monsters before, but now, they've gotten even worse. Even though the mist is gone."

He was referring, of course, to when the eight of them beat Grune's other half or something like that. Afterwards, Grune had gone as well. Now, without Norma, their fighting force was down to six, for the time being.

"We need to get rid of them, the ones around the city, to be more specific. Senel, you and Chloe…" At this, Shirley gave a squeak of protest.

"Shirley, we need no distractions, and that's why he is with Chloe, and not you." Shirley sighed, and hung her head. Will turned back to Senel and Chloe, who were standing at attention. "Take the spring. As that place is visited most often by members of the city, it needs to be cleared out fast and efficiently."

Senel and Chloe both nodded. Will smiled. "Jay, you and Moses…" Jay gave out a low growl of protest, and Moses… was Moses. "Come on Jay, it won't be so bad." Jay put a hand to his head. "If I'm sane by the end of the day, I'll praise every star in the galaxy." Moses got furious at hat, taking an angry step towards Jay.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" He said. "It means you'll drive me crazy, you stupid bandit. Can't figure it out?" Jay responded, also taking a step towards Moses. "Oh yeah, want to bet?" Moses said. "On what?" Jay said. "You're logic makes no sense at all.

"Regardless…" Will said, stopping the fight from going any further for the time being. "You two will clear out the area around the Oresoren Village. You can manage that, right?" He said, glaring at them. Neither wanted a head bonking, so they nodded.

"Good. Shirley and I will take the Lighthouse. A few monsters have managed to get up from the quiet lands; we just need to take care of those. Let's go." He said, and all of them expected a Norma chant of "Charge!" But it never came.

"Right… Norma's off treasure hunting…" Shirley said. Senel twitched. He hated having to lie, but he saw no other way around it, for now.

Later on, Both Shirley and Will had cleared the lighthouse. It had gone fairly easily, as there weren't many monsters there that needed to be taken care of. "Senel's acting strange." Shirley said simply. Will couldn't disagree. "I don't know what could be bothering him, so we'll just have to wait and see if he tells us."

Jay, however, wasn't worried about Senel. "Hit me in the head, Pippo, hard." He said, handing the otter a hammer. The Oresoren tilted its head in a confused way. "YAHOO! WHO'S NEXT! COME MEET MY SPEAR!" Moses screamed, taking down any monsters that tried to come close to the village.

"You'd think that stupid bandit would have quieted down after what happened with Geit… he must be too stupid to even feel sad for long." Jay said, leaning down only slightly, as he was short. "Please… knock me out… save me from this living nightmare…"

Senel and Chloe had just finished off another monster. "Thanks Chloe, that was close." She couldn't help but blush slightly. "Umm… right. No problem, Coolidge." Suddenly, Senel grabbed her arm. She blushed madly, wondering what was happening, until Senel pulled her towards him, then dashed passed her to hit the monster that had been sneaking up from behind her.

They took care of it, Chloe finishing it with her famous 'Demon Fang' attack. "Thank you, Coolidge." Senel smiled. "Now we're even." He looked around. "Looks like we took care of them, come on, let's report back to Will." Chloe nodded, and they started back down the path to Will's house.

"Coolidge… what are you going to do about…" Chloe began. Senel cut her off. "Stop it." She looked taken aback. "I'm only…" Senel shook his head. "It's not that, I'm still not sure what to do about it. What I meant was…" He looked up at Chloe, who in turn looked at the ground instead.

"Senel." He said. She looked up in confusion. He was referring to himself in the third person. "Just call me Senel. Calling me Coolidge… just feels weird. I mean, we're friends, right?" He said, and she couldn't help but nod.

"Then just call me Senel. It… feels better, somehow." He said, shrugging his shoulders slightly, and making her blush like mad. "Umm… okay then… Senel." She said, and he smiled. "Not so hard, is it?" He said, laughing softly. "No, it isn't." She responded, and they continued on their way.

------------------------------End Flashback------------------------------------

"Good work, everyone." Will said. It was night now, and everyone had returned to Will's, although Jay looked a little dizzy, as though he had been hit in the head with a giant hammer a few times or something. But he composed himself to give his report.

"The monsters around the village are less, though thee are still a lot of them, so I recommend that tomorrow me, Moses, and Shirley report back, so we can do even more. If everyone else can come, that would help too." Everyone else in the group heard this.

"Alright. As for me and Shirley, we've secured the lighthouse. Not many monsters had gotten up, and we had some unexpected help." Will said, and Moses smiled. They all knew perfectly well who it was that had helped them ward off the monsters. All of them silently thanked Geit for his help.

"As for me and Cool… I mean, Senel," Chloe said, blushing slightly, and everyone looked at her, making her blush more. Senel stepped in. "We managed to clear out most of the monsters, but I think it might need to be revisited soon." Will nodded.

"Alright then, tomorrow, Shirley, Jay, Moses, and I will take the Oresoren Village. Senel, you and Chloe will take the spring again, okay?"

Everyone nodded. "Alright then, until tomorrow." Will said.

* * *

Senel sat on his bed, reading once again the note left by Norma. He must've read it countless times within the last hour. He crumpled it in his hand and lay down to sleep. He couldn't help feeling like he shouldn't be here. That somewhere… she needed him. She needed him more than anyone else. 

Everyone else in the Fun bunch also had disturbed sleep. Something about Norma's disappearance was bugging all of them, and yet… they weren't sure why. Maybe… Senel hadn't told them everything.

Chloe also sat on her bed, and she knew the truth, and was worried. At the same time… she couldn't help but feel a little giddy. "…Senel…" She said again, as though the name meant the world to her. Perhaps it did.

* * *

In the darkness of a tunnel somewhere, a young girl sat, with her legs hugged to her body, a couple of tears running down her face. "Should've said… take care of C… Senny… you idiot…" Obviously, she was talking in her sleep.

* * *

Tatsu: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that's how it end. 

Norma: I did appear!

Tatsu: For like, two seconds…

Norma: But it counts!

Tatsu: ...Not really... (Whacked)

Will: I think you may have done a… adequate job.

Moses: What's 'adequate'?

Jay: Mediocre, you stupid Bandit.

Moses: I'm not stupid! …What's Mediocre?

Jay: (Sweat drop)

Chloe: …Senel…

Senel: What is it, Chloe?

Chloe: AH! Umm… it's nothing… sorry… (blushes like mad)

(Everyone is staring at them)

Senel: What is it?!?!

Tatsu: While Senel continues to be dense, I hope you all continue to review! Thanks for what you reviewed last time! See you all soon! I will write another chapter this time… I think.

Senel: What do you mean, 'dense'?!?!

Norma: What do you mean, 'think'?!?!

(sounds of scuffles)

Grune: You're all such good friends!


	3. Departure

Tatsu: Well, I think I'll update this now. Yes, I am an avid Senel/Chloe fan. I will say it many times. The reason? It just fits. Senel/Shirley? Umm… no. After acting like brother and sister for like… ever, you can't just change that on a whim. Girls are weird that way. It's like that Keitaro/Kanako thing, and that was much worse. This is still bad though.

I'm still trying to resist the urge to turn this into a Senel/Chloe, but I think I have an Idea that'll help. An OC! Because if she can't have Senel, it's gotta be someone, right?

As for the others, I dunno what I'll do with them. They'll probably show up too…

Anyways, I've waited long enough. Time to start this thing!

By the way…. Jay/Moses is wrong. I don't do Yaoi. So don't ask for it.

* * *

Chapter 3: Departure

The days of Norma's absence grew into a week. By then, everyone had begun to get a little concerned. At first they hadn't cared, as the disposal of monsters had taken most of the week. But the three days of nothing had simply made it all the worse.

It didn't help that Grune was gone, either.

"You never did tell us where she said she was going." Jay said, eyeing Senel. He had been unusually quiet through the whole thing, and seemed much more distant than usual. Chloe believed he was planning something.

"She didn't say." He responded simply, and the others sighed. That would be just like Norma to them.

"Either way, we should've received at least another letter by now." Shirley said, extending her hand to the others as though the idea was open to discussion.

"Bubbles can be rather careless." Moses said, seemingly unaffected by all of this.

"Still, where could she have gone? There are too many to search them all." Will said, also putting his hand out.

"You mean we're going to look for her?" Chloe said, surprised and looking up at the others. Their looks told her all they needed to know.

"My guesses…" Jay said, his know-it-all manner back in place, "Would be the where the Everlight is." This was everyone's main guess. "I say me and Shirley check it out, with the stupid bandit." Moses immediately stood up to argue, but Will silenced him with a look.

"That seems like a plan. In the meantime, I'll look after things in the town. Senel, you and Chloe should check the villages. Oresoren, Ferines, even Port-On-Range will do." Will said, elaborating. Once again, the absence of two was noticeable. Despite this, everyone nodded.

* * *

"Do you really think we can find her?" Shirley asked, as the three entered the Crystal Forest.

"No." Jay said simply.

"How can you say that, Jay?" Moses replied, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. "We know she's somewhere, right?"

"Senel's hiding something." Jay responded thoughtfully.

_Doesn't miss a beat, does he._ Shirley thought, also noticing the change in Senel's behavior. "Well, we can only hope for the best."

"I suppose that's true." Jay answered, and they continued on.

* * *

"Coolidge, you plan on extending this trip, don't you." Chloe said, as Senel walked up to her at the entrance to Weritas Beacon.

Senel looked up. Just like the bag on his back, Chloe had a small bag that looked as though it were packed for a journey. "Chloe…"

"I know you better than that." She smiled, tapping her forehead. "And I'm going with you."

Senel sighed, shaking his head in defeat. "Well, it's useless to argue with you."

"Exactly, so let's get going." She said, walking past him and onto the road. "I left a note for everyone."

"So did I." Senel said, smiling slightly. "You know that I have no clue where to start though, right?"

Chloe shook her head. "Only too well, Senel." He smiled at the use of his name. "I think it's best to start with the front and move from there. Port-On-Range is our best bet."

Senel nodded. "Alright then, let's get going."

* * *

Will looked out, sighing at the sight of the two leaving. "Looks like things are going to get a lot more complicated around here…"

"Father! Where are you! Why aren't you home! I cooked a good meal for you!" Came the voice of Harriet. Will cringed, and mysteriously, everyone else on the street had vanished. That was the terror of Harriet's cooking.

"C-coming…" Will called, and plodded away, slumping his shoulders.

* * *

"Look, I know you don't want to, but you have to listen to me sometimes, okay?" A young man shouted angrily at a younger girl, who were both red in the face. All the sailors were on the deck in fear as the two shouted from opposite ends of the ship.

"Why should I listen to you? You got thrown out of the knights!"

"You never got accepted into them!"

"So what?"

"Look, I'm older, so you have to listen to me!"

"Why should I?!?!"

"Cause otherwise we'll get killed on the Legacy! Come on Hailey!"

"No way! IN fact, I'm embarrassed to be related to someone who has an 'L' missing from his name, Wil!"

"You are being a total…" The man trailed off, looking into the distance.

"What is it?" The girl asked, their argument forgotten, as she approached him.

"We're almost there. The Legacy." He said, pointing. She looked, and her smile grew with each second. The sailors, now safe that their destination was in sight, went back to their duties, quickly preparing for landing.

"I wonder how Coolidge and Valens are doing…" The boy mused, smiling slightly to himself.

"We'll find out soon. And stop talking out loud." Hailey answered.

"Oh… that was out loud?"

A loud sigh was heard.

* * *

Tatsu: Well, that's it. I know, my chapters are short, but it's really hard coming up with stuff to work with. This isn't like my FE fic. I'm not integrating this stuff into the chapters with extras. I'm creating a whole new story. Grah.

By the way, in case you don't know already, I don't own Legendia, or most of these characters. Also, this contains spoilers for the whole game that may pop up here and there. hopefully, I'll see you again soon! I'll try to update sooner this time! Please review though! That's how I get my motivation!


	4. Fight

Tatsu: Alright, I'm writing the next chapter, which has taken me far too long to begin. I can feel the icy glares and threats of deaths from readers and characters alike if I don't continue this, so I am. I'll try to make this chapter longer and better, but I can't make any promises. Here it comes!

Psst! I don't own Tales of Legendia or any of the Tales games! Otherwise there'd be a lot more sequels! I only own this storyline and my OCs.

* * *

Chapter 4: Fight

No one heard anything from Will's house after the rather prolonged gagging sound that several passersby had heard while listening at the keyhole to the Sheriff's house. Harriet complained about him trying to overwork while he was sick, still horribly unaware that it was her cooking that had caused his current condition.

Now he was lying in bed, successfully out of commission. Next to him were the two letters, written by Chloe and Senel about their prolonged journey. Will sighed. The others would no doubt chase them down as soon as they found out. This was turning into another adventure. He glanced at Senel's note first.

**Dear Friends,**

**I know this is not the best way to explain myself but it will be easier to do so once this is done. Norma ran away because of me. I was a dense moron, and it caused this. So I'm going to fix this, no matter what it takes. I'll see you all again soon.**

**Senel**

It was short, but it got the point across, and gave no direction of how to find him. Then he glanced at Chloe's letter, just as short, and only slightly different.

**Members of the Fun Bunch,**

**I know that Coolidge is going to attempt something foolish and go off alone in search of Norma. I cannot divulge any details, as he asked me not to. However, I will go with him and aid him in his search. Hoping to see you all again soon,**

**Chloe**

Will flopped his head back on the pillow, again wondering just how complicated things were about to get.

* * *

In the Crystal Forest, meanwhile, the three were facing off with a minor annoyance. "You think this is what Norma was chased by the first time Senel came here?" Shirley asked, running away as it chased her.

"Who knows!" Jay replied, before stabbing it with his dagger, and only achieving in aggravating the beast more.

Moses was in his element whenever there was a battle, and used his Wild Rain to slam multiple spears into the creature, causing it to spit out sticky fluids that stuck him and Jay in place. "Ah… well that wasn't quite what I thought would happen."

Jay sighed as he began to work his way out of the death trap, muttering over and over "Stupid bandit." This somehow gave him the strength to break free of the threads, and dodge the creature just in time, While Shirley saved Moses from being trampled by Hitting it with Fireballs.

Moses finally broke free, and charged the spider again, whooping and hollering and finally striking the creature off a cliff. He cheered wildly, throwing a couple spears at it as it fell. "And don't ya come back!"

"I guess stupidity is good for something." Jay commented, and ignored Moses's angry retort. "Let's keep going, we're close to the Everlight's location now."

* * *

Norma slowly got up, staggering slightly. "Food…" She muttered, a crazy look in her eyes as she stretched out her arms and began walking towards the exit. It couldn't be helped. She needed food to live, and that way she could keep wallowing. No one knew where she was, and she doubted very much that they would find her. They could look as much as they liked, she had found the perfect spot to stay. No one could find her.

* * *

Senel was going to find Norma. Nothing would stop him. Of course, the fact that a ship was arriving made things a little more complicated at Port-On-Range. Norma couldn't be here. There were far too many people. By checking the next ship that was leaving, he discovered that the last ship had left for the mainland over two weeks ago, and the one that had just arrived was the first one since then. Not even a cargo ship had come. Senel thanked him and waited by the exit for Chloe.

Chloe, meanwhile, checked the crowd. A quick scan told her that no Norma was seen, although she couldn't be absolutely sure with the amount of people around. Her loud voice, however, usually was noticeable wherever she was. Chloe very much doubted that had changed. She headed back to the exit, where she answered Senel's unasked question with a shake of her head, and the two began to move away.

They hadn't gone five paces, however, when a voice both recognized was heard. "Well! I didn't expect them to be right outside Port-On-Range! Hailey, we've hit the jackpot!" Both turned as one, looking as two figures approached them. "If it isn't Coolidge! And Valens as well! You two have caused quite a stir on the mainland, you know that?"

The man, spotting Chloe's drawn sword and Senel's fists raised, sighed and scratched his head. "I suppose you won't believe me if I say I'm not here to fight? You're funeral." Neither lowered their weapons, or made a move to attack. "Hailey, stand back. You're a healer, after all, you don't want to get hurt."

The girl nodded, and stepped back. Familiar background music began to play as the battle began. "Cool!" The boy shouted. "Looks like I'm classified as a Boss by the Legacy's standards!"

Following this utterly random pronouncement, the battle began. Chloe and Senel immediately unleashed their Fang attacks in a combo that had worked several times before. However, Wil simply flipped over them, landing in front of the two. Before he knew it, Senel had received a sharp blow from the side of Wil's weapon. It had been strapped to his back.

It was a lance. Very similar to what Moses used, except this was good for closer range combat that Moses's style, which was longer range. Senel flew back a few feet, his feet crunching as he clutched his stomach in pain. _He's gotten a lot stronger… and he was already dangerous before._

Chloe swept her sword at him, only to find herself bent over, her hands firmly held behind her back. Wil had won the fight; one hand holding Chloe down, the other had his lance held close to her back. "Do I win? Can we stop fighting now?" He asked, apparently curious to the response.

Senel sighed, and then nodded. For a moment, there was silence, and then Wil released Chloe and stepped back. Hailey rushed forward and held her staff high, and in a moment Senel's bruised stomach was cured. "What I don't get," He began, "Is why you're here. And how do you know him, Chloe?"

Chloe glanced at Senel. "I was about to asked you the same thing, actually."

Wil raised his hand. "I can answer all your questions, yes? Does that mean I can explain?" They nodded. "Yes! I do get lucky sometimes!"

_He calls this luck?_ Chloe and Senel thought at the same time, and Hailey sighed.

"Alright, well, since you seem to be on a quest, I'll make this quick. I met Valens first. I was a knight. At least, for a little while. I was too brutal in some of my missions, and too compassionate in others, so they threw me out. But it was during that time I met Valens. I did a couple of missions with her."

Chloe nodded at this, knowing it was true. _If I remember correctly, I saw the most brutal mission, as well as the most compassionate. That had to have been right before he stopped following orders. After that he never really was the same. The higher ups thought he was a bit… loopy. Well he is, but not in a crazy sense._

"After a while," Wil continued "I needed work. Vaclav offered it. That's why you attacked, isn't it Coolidge?" He nodded in response. "Well, I met Hailey, but after the attack on the Ferines Village, I stopped following Vaclav's orders as well. I don't do mass murders anymore." This implied that he had been involved in one before, but the others ignored this. "So Hailey and I traveled for a while."

So far this made sense. Senel remembered that he hadn't seen Wil during the attack. He'd ask more later if he had the chance. Of course, it wasn't something he especially liked to remember. Neither, apparently, did Wil.

"Anyways, we needed new work, and there was an advertisement about the Legacy defense force. We decided to give it a shot. Of course, I thought it would be very entertaining to see you both again. I heard about how you guys defeated Vaclav… and that Ferines guy that had kinda lost it… and that weird mist stuff." Despite his strange and confusing response, both understood the gist of it.

"Well, you'll want to go to Weritas Beacon for that. Talk to Will the Sheriff. Shouldn't be too hard, he has your name. Tell him you know us and we recommended you." Senel said, waving his hand.

"That's nice and all, but you two don't appear to be going back. You know I'm too curious for my own good." Wil said. Hailey sighed again. He always got them into other people's business.

"Yes we are, but I don't think that's any of your business." Chloe said.

"Oh, come on. I'll just cause you both more grief if I shadow you rather than travel with you."

It was obvious they weren't going to win this battle. With another shrug, Senel said "Suit yourself." And began walking.

"Alright!" Wil said, punching the air.

"Where are we headed next, Coolidge? Wait, why are you—" Chloe trailed off, realizing she was smiling as well. Having another fighter and a healer along rounded out their party, and would make it much easier to get through monster infested areas with fewer injuries.

"So, Senel's looking for his lover?" Hailey asked unexpectedly, as though she had read the other's minds.

"How did you know that?" Chloe asked, making Senel turn completely red.

"She's not my lover! It's Norma!" He yelled.

"Oh-ho! Coolidge has got a thing for the girl with a lot of pep, huh?" Wil asked Chloe.

"Stop saying that! We're just looking for her! It's nothing like that!"

"Well, Hailey obviously read your mind, so it's no use denying it."

Senel stopped. "Wait, she can read minds? Really?"

Wil laughed. "Of course not! She just guesses really accurately! And the look on your face gives it all away!"

"He's right, Coolidge." Chloe said, looking at Senel's blushing face.

"You're all conspiring against me!" He shouted, and continued walking, leaving the other three laughing, following in his wake.

Tatsu: Still short. I'm trying, I really am. I think this one is a little better and a little longer, but I can't really tell. Well, I hope you all read and review this, and I'll try and update again sooner. I will do better! I will! I won't lose to my laziness!


	5. Information

Tatsu: Alright, here comes the next chapter of this fic. It's still hard to come up with good ideas, and it's even more difficult considering I have absolutely no idea where I hid Norma. Oo Well, I had intended this to be a one-shot, if you all don't remember. Anyways, this chapter needs to see some more action, and maybe an attempt at being a little longer. Here we go!

* * *

Chapter 5: Information

The three stared up at the remains of the ever light. There was nothing else within a mile radius. None of them wanted to admit it, but this was a solid dead end. "She's not here." Shirley finally spoke up. All three slumped to the floor in defeat.

Moses pounded his fist on the floor. "Damn, and I really wanted this to go easier than I thought it would." He sighed. Both were looking surprised. "I ain't as stupid as you think I am."

Jay sighed, and nodded. "If something truly happened, Norma wouldn't go to places we know she usually goes to. She'll go to some place we've barely explored to the full."

Shirley sighed as well. "So then where is she?"

Jay looked up at the ever light. "Only Senel might know. Or no one does. I say we head back to town."

The other two nodded, and they stood, walking back towards Weritas Beacon.

* * *

Will let out a long sigh. He knew that by now Senel and Chloe must be at the bandit's layer. They wouldn't use the pipe system, for two reasons. Norma could be anywhere, so it only makes sense that they would check everywhere they could and have been. 

Two, the pipes had a record system that kept track of who used them and where they went. Norma didn't use it when she left, and to ensure that they weren't followed, Senel wouldn't risk using them either. He could only hope they would be alright.

* * *

Norma chomped on her apple, her mood slightly improved by the fact she had finally eaten something. By her guess, people would have started looking for her. More specifically, the fun bunch would be. She felt quite secure in her hiding space, but it had been found by others before. Maybe she should risk moving around a little. 

To a more secure location. Senel wouldn't find her there. He was the last person she wanted to see.

* * *

"So… this is the infamous place where you two fought this Moses guy, right?" Wil asked, looking up at the hideout. 

"Well, at the time we also had Will's help, and since he's a crystal eren it helped. He had some healing spells too, so that also helped a ton." Senel explained, as Wil and Hailey listened.

"Sanders eventually came back to aid us, and since then we've realized he never was a bad person." Chloe finished.

"I see… though I do have one question…" He jabbed his thumb behind him. "If you guys are stronger from back then, that means the monsters here have gotten stronger. Or is that just my imagination?"

Looking, the other three spotted a giant creature with huge arms and a dangerous looking axe. It swung, but Wil had his lance parry the blow to the side, as Hailey began chanting and Chloe and Senel rushed in. "Yes… that is strange." Senel managed to comment.

* * *

Grune looked down from her place, paying special attention to her seeds, which had now grown to full creatures of the elements. She was glad they had. "Oh my… seems like trouble is brewing on the Legacy once again. I hope they're up for another long battle…" There was no black mist. No, this was something that was far more dangerous. Something was happening in the core of the planet. The Legacy was only the start of the trouble. Soon, the problems would spread to everywhere, including Gadoria.

* * *

"Swallow Fury!" Senel unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks against the monster, but he wasn't alone. At the same time, Chloe used her "Sword Rain!" and Wil, who apparently had a few tricks of his own, hit the enemy with his "White tiger strike!" 

The monster staggered, but it didn't get a chance to recover. Hailey finished her chant, and called out "Negative Gate!" Instantly a ball of dark energy appeared and the monster was blasted several times in the upper section where the ball was encompassed. It fell to the ground with a final thud.

"That was a lot harder than it should have been." Chloe noted. "Although that may have been because we've only been fighting sparingly recently, for monster control. And any continuous fights we've always had the others for back up."

Wil shook his head. "Something isn't right. Their have been problems on the mainland as well, not just the legacy. I think something big is starting to happen." The others looked at him, until he shrugged. "Well, let's go inside!"

* * *

Jay, Moses, and Shirley were sitting in Will's living room, absolutely astounded at what they had just heard. Moses slammed his fist on the table. "But why didn't you stop them?" 

Will shrugged. "You really think they would have listened? In any case, I have more troubling news than that." He put down a series of paper. "Look at this."

Jay picked it up, ruffling through it in half the time a normal person would, explaining it to the other two as he did so. "Interesting. It says here that a special agent hired by all the states on the mainland has been researching the monsters. This agent is reporting to the legacy, and should already be here. This report states that something is happening in the world, because the monsters are grower stronger."

Shirley gasped. "All of them? How is this person so sure?"

Jay put down the report. "She hired an ex-soldier who once committed a mass genocide on orders from his state. Since then he never killed anyone except monsters. However, that area was not full of weak people. Apparently, it was a mixed village. Ferines and Orerenes lived there together, and at the time peace between the two was undesirable. The states used this to set off a mass relocation of all Ferines to the Legacy."

Will nodded. "He was cleared of war crimes because his guilt was so obvious that he stopped following anyone's orders. He only kills monsters for meager sums now, and the ghosts of the pass have caused him a small case of insomnia."

Moses sighed. "An' this guy has trouble killin' the monsters too, eh? Well ain't that a darn shame. Looks like we gotta save the world again, huh?"

Jay folded his hands together. "There's more. A report from the man theorizes that the planet's core has somehow been affected by the black mist that infected the legacy a while ago. Continued exposure has wiped out several towns on the mainland. He's named it 'Miasma.'"

Shirley still looked confused. "Why come to the legacy?"

Will continued where Jay had left off. "There's one way to stop it. To gain support and power from all the elemental spirits, which were planted by Grune on the Legacy. Then that person can cast the planetary eren, which should completely destroy the Miasma and restore the world to its previous state. Only an accomplished Crystal eren can do this."

Everyone spoke the same name at the same time, because it was obvious that the strangers would have reported to one of them otherwise, as they had apparently arrived half a day ago. "Norma."

* * *

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you had an ulterior motive for coming with us, Wil." Chloe asked, as they took a break at the top of the bandit's tower. Norma had been nowhere there, and not even in the hidden passages were there any signs of her. Senel aside, Wil had intently examined every place possible, pointing out places even Senel had missed. 

"Well, maybe I do, and maybe I don't. Following Coolidge and Valens may not hold up forever, but that's holding up for now, isn't it?" He smiled, which made her grimace. It was completely obvious he was hiding something, but now she knew he wasn't going to tell them about it until he had too. Hailey too. She was still quite silent, sitting and making their meal as Senel's made notes on the map.

They had now covered five locations. Crystal Forest was out of the picture, as were the quiet lands, Weritas beacon, port-on-range, and the bandit's layer. And yet there were so many more places they needed to check. "I'd cross off the wings of light if I were you." Wil called.

"Why is that?" Senel raised a curious brow.

"Miasma." It was one of the first times she had spoken out of battle.

Chloe looked curious. "What is that?"

"The reason the monsters are getting stronger. It stems from the core of the planet, but it expels from certain points in the world. The Ferines Ancient machinery." His voice had gotten much more serious, and both Chloe and Senel knew what that meant. "The Wings of Light are the core of the Legacy, and therefore the Miasma stems from there. It's poisonous if inhaled over long periods of time, so Norma wouldn't stay there. After all, at present she hasn't the power to stop it."

"What does that mean?" Both Senel and Chloe asked demandingly.

"It means she can have that power. But it's a long process, and the first step to that, is her not hiding like a coward because she couldn't say something simple like 'I love you' to Coolidge. The only reason she has the power in the first place, is because Miss Grune entrusted her with that power when she left this realm."

The room was silent for a few more moments, before Senel tucked the map away. "Sounds like there's a lot of trouble brewing, and that's means we have to stop it. And the first step to that is finding Norma."

"Not quite." Hailey spoke again. "There is another thing that can be done." Both looked curious. "The elements planted by Miss Grune on the Legacy. Each must grant its aid to one person. Then those people must pass the power onto Norma for her to cast the eren needed to stop the Miasma."

"So not trying to ruin the plan, Coolidge, but it's your choice what to do from here." Wil said that, and again the room was filled in silence.

* * *

Tatsu: Wow, didn't originally intend this to become something like this, but now that it has, I suppose I'll roll with it. The Miasma is not my Idea, I got that from Tales of the Abyss. And of course Norma needed to be the caster in order to keep this interesting. 

Now I need some things to continue. First, the names of a lot more dungeons and things. I don't remember them too well, and I don't have the time to play through the whole game to find out…

Second, I need to know where Grune planted each seed and which element it was. If I don't know that, I have to again play through the game to find out, which will again take a long time to do…

I hope you don't mind my changing the Hailey character a bit. This way it's more interesting, and don't worry, the other members of the fun bunch will have a much more active role soon. Until next time, RRR everybody!


End file.
